The U.S. Embassy has awarded $45,000 (K745,000) to nine Zambian community-based organizations through the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help small grant program. The grants focus on various sectors including food security, education, and health, and will expand economic opportunities and improve the standard of living in communities in five provinces.

The Special Self-Help program delivers financial support directly to Zambian organizations with sustainable, innovative ideas to reach traditionally underserved areas or populations. Grants awarded this year will support the following projects:

• Construction of an incinerator for disposing of medical waste for St. Francis Health Care in Solwezi, North-Western Province;
• Construction of a multi-purpose shelter for Nsansa Village Community Development Mission to assist women and girls in Chongwe, Lusaka Province;
• Construction of a library and purchase of books for Wisdom Centre to assist underprivileged pupils in Kabanana Site and Service in Lusaka Province;
• Purchase of desks for primary school pupils attending Lwamabwe Primary School in Central Province;
• Construction of a poultry house for a poultry project with Mtambweni Tiyeseko Women’s Club to improve women’s livelihoods in Mtambweni Village of Chadiza district in Eastern Province;
• Establishment of a poultry project with DMI Progress Self-Help Group to improve food security and household income in Magazine Compound in Chipata, Eastern Province;
• Establishment of a poultry project with Ombeni Multi-Purpose Group to improve food security and household income in Chazingwa area in Chipata, Eastern Province;
• Establishment of a poultry project with Tudikwashi Health Care to improve Zamtan community members’ livelihoods in Kitwe, Copperbelt Province; and
• Establishment of a poultry project with Women of Justice to improve food security and household income for women in Makeni, Lusaka Province.

Since its initiation, the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help program has provided over $1.4 million (K23.1 million) to 139 community-based organizations throughout Zambia. The application deadline for the next round of funding is February 28, 2022.  The guidelines, project criteria, and application are accessible at: https://zm.usembassy.gov/education-culture/small-grants-programs.